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Stony Mountain man dies at Wuskwatim Dam work site

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 04/21/2011 10:55 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Allen Leschyshyn died Wednesday on site at the Wuskwatim Dam. (FAMILY PHOTO)

STONY MOUNTAIN — The widow of a worker killed Wednesday afternoon at the Wuskwatim Dam work site said her family has been kept in the dark about the circumstances surrounding her husband's death.

Wanda Leschyshyn said she learned about her husband's death several hours after it happened from a union official, adding the company that employed him -- Lafarge Canada Inc. -- did not call her until mid-day today.

"It's not right that no one called me," Leschyshyn said as she sat, crying, in the breezeway of the Stony Mountain home that her husband had built. "It's not right that he was dead for hours and no one called me."

The RCMP said Allan Michael Leschyshyn, 65, died late Wednesday afternoon after he was struck in the head by a metal crossbar while he was working with others to dismantle a large quonset structure.

Police said on-site emergency medical responders were unable to revive Leschyshyn and he died at the scene.

Wanda Leschyshyn, 61, said her husband was only weeks away from retirement, adding he agreed to take the Wuskwatim job because it was only to last for three weeks.

Leschyshyn said a business agent called her around 8 p.m. Wednesday night and broke the news of her husband's death.

"He said there'd been a fatal accident at work and then he said 'Al died,'" Leschyshyn said as she broke down in tears remembering the telephone call.

She said her sons made frantic calls for several hours to the Wuskatim site but Lafarge officials did not answer the phones.

She said a Lafarge company spokesman called her just before noon today, apologized for not calling sooner but refused to give any details about the accident or when her husband's body would be released.

A spokeswoman at Lafarge Canada Inc.'s facilities on Dawson Road in St. Boniface said today that the company would not comment about the circumstances surrounding Leschyshyn's death or make any other statement.

The Wuskwatim dam and generating station is a 200-megawatt, $1.6 billion project being built by Manitoba Hydro at Taskinigup Falls on the Burntwood River, about 40 kilometres north of Thompson. Construction began in 2006 and is expected to be completed in 2012.

Manitoba Hydro spokesman Glenn Schneider said the accident occurred while Leschyshyn and others were removing a tarp covering from a structure that had been used to house a concrete plant.

Schneider said Hydro knew little about how the death occurred, adding he was surprised to hear that Lafarge had not contacted Leschyshyn's family.

"They should have been notified," Schneider said.

Leschyshyn said her husband loved working and enjoyed mentoring younger employees.

Leschyshyn said her husband went to the Wuskwatim site April 12, where he and a crew were dismantling two large buildings that were no longer needed.

Her husband called every other night while he was up north, she said, adding she last spoke to him Tuesday night.

Leschyshyn said she and her husband, who was originally from Arborg, had been together for 24 years but were to celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary in July.

The couple had many plans for his post-retirement days, she said, adding they had recently purchased a large cabin 16 kilometres west of Falcon Lake and they were looking forward to spending time with their children and grandchildren.

"Allan lived for his family," Wanda said. "He was a wicked cook. He made the best borscht, better than Alycia's. Everyone loved his soups."

Leschyshyn said funeral arrangement cannot be made until authorities release her husband's body and she's been given no date as to when that might happen.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

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